Basketball: Davis AAU Squad Set For Vegas Experience

The Davis Hoops Club’s AAU Under-15 squad is aiming to take in more than just the sights on the Vegas strip at the Swoosh Ultimate Showcase this weekend.

The U-15 Wildcats will be competing for the High School Bronze division title against four other AAU teams, including one from Canada.

Coach Lewis Gabbard said he’s prepared for stiff competition to test his team over the next three days.

“You don’t bring a crummy team to Vegas, not from that distance,” he said.

Gabbard’s group includes 13 players from Dixon, Davis, Vacaville, Will C. Wood, Rodriguez and Sheldon high schools. The players started practicing together in recent weeks to prepare for the tournament. Prior to that, the team - combined from two different frosh Wildcat teams - played the AAU season from March to May. Teams stopped playing after Memorial Day so the players could return to their high schools to play summer ball.

“It’ll be the first time that the Davis Wildcats take a freshman team to Las Vegas and play in a summer tournament,” Gabbard said.

The Adidas Super 64 - a renowned national high school basketball tournament – will also be taking place this weekend in Vegas. Two more Davis AAU teams will be competing in that tournament and another will be playing in the Gold National division of the Swoosh tourney.

Gabbard hopes his team will take in the exposure of playing the tournament as well as watching top-caliber players compete.

“I think the biggest thing is exposure,” he said. “…Exposure for them to see high-level, high school basketball players. That is really the most important thing.”

Gabbard's seen his teams play talented squads before. He took a team to a tournament at the 14-court Dream Courts facility in Hayward a few months back. With the Bay Area talent being showcased at that time, the coach was impressed but looks forward to seeing even better action in the next few days.

“It’s big-time basketball,” said Gabbard of Bay Area prep basketball. “That was the biggest exposure they had as a group but Vegas is the next level.”

Dixon High sophomore Chad Baptiste will be playing point guard for the Wildcats.

“I’m looking forward to playing good competition and overall to just get better and play better teams,” he said.

Baptisite said he is not sure what to expect in Vegas, but will be prepared to adjust during in-game situations.

“Basketball, you just have to play as it goes,” he said. “…If I see that the team we’re facing is fast, I’m going to play fast.”

Dixon players on the roster

Angel Castillo

Andrew Cauchi

Chad Baptiste

Doug Layson

Blake Fugham

Anthony Murphy

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